Renegade (A Flippy Fanfic)
by AppleCiderShurian
Summary: A plane crash forces our favorite Happy Tree Friends to depend on Flippy for survival, but when he discovers that they are not alone on the island, the pressure to keep his friends alive threatens his sanity.
1. Chapter 1-Rude Awakening

_There's no room for hesitation here._

_"_What do you expect me to do? We're surrounded and I don't have my knife."

He appeared to be replying to no one in particular, but they all knew exactly who he was talking to, and the thought that he was there only made the situation more tense.

There were shadows everywhere, and the hint of danger grew every second. There were flickers on the trees; a rustling sound was barely audible and he stole a glance in the direction of where his precious blade lay in the sand.

_Make a go for it, you can easily beat them to it. This is our only chance and then it's over._

He started slowly in the opposite direction, unsure of where his opponents lie, and he needed to get his bearings before attempting such a risky move. A familiar voice inside him warned-

_What are you doing? This is no time to take in the sights._

"Just wait a sec." Flippy urged.

Almost on cue, a blue furred animal kept out of the trees, gliding through the air with ease. His eyes were focused on something particular below, and Flippy didn't have to guess; it was the Bowie knife.

With quick footing, Flippy launched himself to the knife, taking the hilt from under the sand with fluidity, and prepared himself for the attacker above. He searched the sky, but the masked figure was no where to be seen and another sound drew his attention. Gracefully, he directed the knife to the sound and heard a thump as it lodged itself into the bark of a tree.

_You missed_, Evil said flatly.

"Not quite," Flippy smirked. A thin red ribbon was caught under the blade, gently fluttering from the impact. He knew now it was a waiting game, and if he predicted correctly, it would be over all too quick.

Flippy silently crept near the tree, careful not to draw any attention and he observed his work from a distance. Sure enough, the blue animal returned for his mask, and when he was certain he was safe, Flippy edged up behind him. The animal didn't have time to react as he was place in a headlock and thrown to the ground, instantly regretting falling for such an easy trap. Most would have would have expected the sound of screams and agony, but instead only the sound of laughter was heard as the two friends pretended to wrestle, earning a sigh from Evil.

_I really hope you take one of these training days seriously._ Evil muttered as the two fighters proceeded to throw sand at each other. _For your sake, not mine._

It was early in the evening, and Flippy had agreed to a training session with Splendid. They always kept their skills sharp, for they were the backbones of the group, and no one else had stepped up to accept the challenges that they had to deal with, not that there were many to overcome. Since the plane crash the only threat they had to far was starvation and dehydration, but luckily Flippy was exceptionally well trained thanks to his time in the military, and he had no problem hunting or locating pools of water. He couldn't say the same for the rest of the group as they panicked the first day. Flippy was looked to as the leader, since he had the most experience in the wild, but it wasn't easy to win over their trust.

Because of his split personality, it was difficult to approach him without the risk of him flipping. Of course, the others had always been naturally cautious around him, but the crash had placed him back into the war zone mindset, especially since they were now far away from civilization. It was rather easy for him to snap, but he managed to find a balance so that his counterpart wouldn't intentionally kill anyone; He'd simply let Evil take control every so often. The others were wary of his decision, but for the most part Evil had kept his word, and gradually the collected fear of him had diluted, but only slightly.

Flippy picked himself up, dusting off the sand that clung to his camo jacket and went to retrieve his knife, along with Splendid's crimson mask.

"You did pretty good this time," Flippy remarked to Splendid as he dislodged the blade,"Although I knew you would drop your guard to retrieve this. You know, attachments like this can get you in trouble in a real fight". He handed over the ribbon, and watched as Splendid smiled appreciatively and tied it around his head.

"Well, I'd like to see you try and fight without your Bowie knife. I'm sure you're just as attached to that as I am to my mask".

_He has a point you know, but we'd do just fine without it._ Evil reminded.

Before Flippy could voice his agreement, he caught the sight of Cuddles making his way to them.

"We found something weird near the plane wreckage," he called as he was within earshot. Flippy's expression changed to one with interest, then to concern.

"It's not dangerous I hope?" Splendid questioned.

"I'm not sure at the moment...actually, we don't know what it is. I thought I should let you know before we mess with it though."

They made their way down to the wreckage site and Flippy couldn't help but shudder at the sight. It was still haunting to see the remains of the destroyed plane, and although they buried the ones who were not as fortunate as the rest, he felt as if the ghosts of the departed were left to wander, unsatisfied of their sudden death. It made him feel uneasy, and he quickly pushed this aside as he caught up to the gathered animals up ahead. A blue anteater, Sniffles, was observing something with care, and when Flippy and Splendid arrived, he filled them in on the discovery.

"I was searching through the debris when I came across something interesting," he spoke as he handed the small pendant to Splendid, " I've been searching through the wreckage for days, and I was sure that this wasn't here before. I asked everyone here about it to see if it belonged to them, but all have answered that it isn't theirs. Now it's up to you both."

Splendid eyed the piece with curiosity, and after a moment replied," I've never seen this before, what do you think?" and he passed it on to Flippy. The pendant appeared to be a necklace, and it was a deep shade of green. Animal teeth, most likely of a wolverine, decorated the sides of the medallion, and at a quick inspection it didn't seem out of the ordinary. He started to hand it back to Sniffles when suddenly, Evil startled him from his action.

_This...this can't be._

"What is it? Do you know what this is?" Flippy questioned his opposite.

_Let me take over for a second, I need to get a better look at this medallion._


	2. Chapter 2-Haunted Past

His eyes flashed a brilliant gold and he could feel a slight dizziness as Evil took control. It always felt very strange, the way he would fade back into his conscious and swap places with his counterpart, but after a while he began to get accustomed to it. Flippy could still see in first person while flipped, but he wasn't in control of his actions although he could easily converse with Evil and vice versa.

Now in control, Evil studied the pendant and it wasn't hard for the others to notice his sudden flip.

"You know something about this Evil?" Sniffles implied.

"Actually I do. I've seen these before, but it's been years since I last saw one of these necklaces. They belonged to a group of nomads called the Iris, and the necklaces were used as status symbols during the war. The colors of the stones identified if you were an officer or foot soldier, and the teeth were decorated on the necklace similar to ranks."

"But Flippy was in the war, and he never mentioned anything about Iris, so how could you know this?" Cuddles interrupted.

"This war was before I met Flippy and he was much younger, during when I was serving in the Weaponized Animal Regiment."

_And by met, you mean rudely possessed of course._ Flippy interjected but was ignored.

"But I thought you were the opposite side of Flippy, not a separate soul?" Sniffles questioned.

"After I was killed, my spirit was left to wander and I never found peace. I thought at first it was because of my nature, but I later realized it was because of these charms," Evil said as he held up the pendant. "I had a risky encounter with one of their generals and made a careless mistake. I could go into detail how he brutally murdered the highest ranking soldier in the regiment, but it's quite picture and I'm not sure if you'd be able to handle it so I'll give you the main idea," Evil grinned, " After stabbing me quite a few times, he made sure that I would never find peace by slicing my wrists with a special blade infused with the properties of these stones. I can still remember how or felt to stare into his soulless eyes as he proceeded to cut open my chest, smiling with a wicked madness. Apparently, it had been his goal to catch me. After all, I did sneak into his camp a few times to harass his newer soldiers, not only leaving them wide-eyed with terror at the mention of my presence, but also pleading for mercy when I would cut them apart."

Evil laughed as if it were a happy memory, earning looks of horror from the others, and when he realized he was getting off track, he cleared his throat, " But to answer your question, yes, I certainly know what this is, and it means a lot of trouble will find us. These are not regular soldiers; they are highly trained, or at least they were when I fought them, and just the thought that they may still be active is a slight concern."

_You're telling me that you were murdered by one of these guys? They must be insane._.. Flippy pondered with worry.

"I said he got lucky, besides, I've had lots of killing practice since then so I'm sure I could handle it well if a situation arises." Evil finished quickly.

Something else was eating at his focus. Flippy couldn't help but notice, and though seeing Evil with a nervous stature brought forward concern, he decided to keep quiet and not ask at the moment.

"So that means you're older than Flippy then?" Cuddles asked.

"Of course," he replied in a matter-of-factly manner. "We'll check around for any other signs of their activity island. Meanwhile, Sniffles, see if you can find anything else through this wreckage."

The golden hue of his eyes had faded as he let Flippy assume control and Splendid had spoken up as the others were returning to their daily work.

"I'll help you to search around. I can see a lot more area from the sky, so I'll let you know as soon as I have something," and with those words he took off, leaving Flippy to his thoughts as he eyed the jungle in front of him.

"I think now would be a good time to talk, Evil."

He had no trouble picking his way through the undergrowth or cutting thin branches that loomed heavily in front of him. The jungle was his second home, and while it harbored many scarred memories, there were also good ones. With every piece of greenery he swept aside, he remembered what it was like to be close to nature, and if you built up your patience and tolerance, you could begin to understand how nature was forgiving and even in the most dire of situations, it could find a way to save your life.

"Why did you choose me?" Flippy suddenly asked.

_What?_ Evil answered, unsure of what he was implying.

"I mean, I had thought you were just a part of my conscious, but your not. You could have chosen any other soldier on the battlefield to inhibit, but you chose me, and I want to know why." Evil had a sinister smile.

_I didn't have a lot to go by. Judging by your uniform, I could tell you we're a Sergeant, but what I didn't understand is how you managed to get every soldier under your command killed or captured. It was obvious you needed...professional help, not to mention you were injured and facing a battle you knew you would lose._ Evil chose his words carefully, for he had other reasons for choosing Flippy at the time that was better left unsaid. He would find out eventually, but for now it was best to leave it be.

"Then what's the deal with the Iris? I know there's more to it then just a simple run in with the enemy." Flippy wondered as he continued his searching. Evil was silent for a moment, then spoke up.

_There's a few more details you don't know about of course, but that's not to important. The days after I was killed, I lost the officers under my command._ Flippy listened carefully to his next words.

_They work for the Iris now._


	3. Chapter 3-Avoiding their Eyes

~Note~

Name pronunciation: Xephyr (Zefer), Turrak (Turik), and Dachus (Dakus) incase you needed to know :3

Also, ty for the review! I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far :D

~End Note n' let's continue!~

_As a Colonel, I had three officers under my command. Their names were Xephyr, Turrak, and Dachus. They were very loyal as we spent many years fighting together, and more often then not, we would save eachother's necks. There were times I would argue with my officers, but they would soon be left to pass, save for one in particular. _

Flippy his absent-minded search, more curious to hear what Evil was telling him.

"So you had a few bouts with your soldiers. Disagreements arise; It's not that big of a deal."

_It wouldn't be, if it weren't Dachus. It was a constant battle with him, and I wondered if one day he would conspire against me if I rubbed him the wrong way. But somehow I knew he wouldn't. He was my most-skilled soldier after all, but that didn't mean he didn't make mistakes._

Flippy soon found himself at a clearing, high above the beach of the wreckage, and he could clearly see he had wandered a bit too far. Behind him, a vast jungle beckoned to be carefully combed, but he knew this was far enough for one day, less he risk running into trouble.

"We should head back and check with the others incase they found something. We can search tomorrow if we need to."

He tread cautiously down the hillside, glancing behind him, and made a quick note of his location. There were scattered grasses and flowers, and from a distance it appeared as if it could be on an island postcard. As he wasn't paying attention, he lost his footing and skid before catching himself on a withered tree stump.

_Nice. _Evil grinned.

"Yeah, well whatever," Flippy said as he pulled himself up from his awkward fall.

Suddenly, a few markings on the stump caught his eye, and as he began to study them, he swore he saw movement atop the hill. No stranger to being caught unaware, his first reflex was to draw his knife. He eyed the hilltop with high priority all while examining the markings. It was a "X" symbol with two dots, one below and one above the shape.

"This is certainly not nature's doing. Recognize the symbol Evil? Is it the Iris's?"

_The insignia seems familiar, but it's as if they changed it. I'm not sure why though. _Evil responded.

The same movement burned at Flippy's curiosity, so he decided to check it out. Knife in paw, he crept slowly up the ridge, and prepared himself for any sudden attackers. As he grew nearer the source, he felt a wave of uncertainty staring at the trees before him, and he suddenly felt like he was being watched. He felt as if he was immobilized, yet he was calm, and a thought finally clicked in his mind. Was he feeling Evil's emotions? They couldn't be his own, yet something was holding him back, and again he found himself concerned with Evil's well-being. He didn't know yet, but he would know soon why his psycho counterpart was harboring this fear.

Flippy sheathed his knife, deciding it was best to leave this be, and he heard a friendly voice behind him.

"Where have you been? You should have been back an hour ago, and they all sent me to find you," a pink chipmunk called as she made her way up the hill.

"You mean sent _us_ to find you," another friendly voice said, this time belonging to an indigo blue furred skunk. It was clear she was not par-taken to nature, as she tried her best to avoid the dirt or rather anything on the ground in general.

"Giggles, Petunia? You didn't have to come and get me. I was on my way back actually." Flippy spoke as he turned to face them.

"How were we supposed to know that? We were all just worried you fell in a hole or something..." Giggles said.

"Shouldn't they have sent Splendid then? I doubt you two would figure how to get me out," Flippy laughed.

"Well, we're here now and we're bringing you back. I don't want to be stuck out here in the dark," Giggles said nervously as she glimpsed at the forest around her.

It was dusk by the time they arrived back at the beach. A small fire was lit, and appeared as a light of brilliance in contrast to the darkening twilight sky. Splendid was tending to the fire, making sure it had enough various twigs scattered around it here and there, and it was clear he had arrived back at the camp much earlier than Flippy. Sniffles was there too, chatting with a few others, and he turned as he saw Flippy wander up to them.

"What took you so long? We were getting a bit worried, so I hope you found something that was worth your time," Sniffles blurted as other tree friends gathered to listen.

"Actually, I did find something interesting. It was more of an emblem, carved on the side of a tree trunk," Flippy began as he started to redraw the symbol in the sand. When he was finished, the others observed the find, but found no resemblance to anything they had ever seen.

"Evil told me this may be the insignia of the Iris, but it was slightly altered than the one he had seen."

"So, all we have at the moment is a necklace and a symbol? Are you sure this signifies that they are here? They could have left this place a long time ago," Sniffles implied as Cuddles nodded in agreement.

_It's enough information to worry at least. Like I said before, these people are not to be messed with. For all we know this could be a warning. _Evil voiced to Flippy.

"Look, If it makes you feel more at ease, we'll search tomorrow," Flippy put in.

_You're not going to mention what you saw today? The movement in the clearing? Is that not important for them to know? _Evil questioned.

"Let's not scare anyone based on the small chance that we actually saw someone. It could have been nothing," Flippy interjected.

_It was something... _Evil persuaded.

"And if anyone of their members turns up," Flippy continued to the group," then we'll know we're not alone, and we're not just running in circles guessing-"

Without warning, a voice spoke,

"You may not have to search to find the one you're looking for."

A shadowed figure stepped just out of reach of the fire's light. He held Petunia with a serrated blade made of bone, and his posture was threatening. Flippy quickly drew his Bowie knife, and his eyes blazed a radiance of gold as they widened in alarm at the attacker before him.


	4. Chapter 4-Let the Games Begin

~Note~

I love how writers depict Flippy's counterpart in different ways. Some make him really evil and merciless, while others make his personality more friendly. I preferred to write him as a brother for this story and I find it kind of adorable :3

How do you see Flippy's darker side? ₍•͈ᴗ•₎

~End Note \o/!~

Evil wanted to lunge forward, to strike those malicious eyes in the blackness that held Petunia's captor, but a voice held him back.

"Don't come any closer or I'll bathe the ground on her blood." The figure held the blade tighter against Petunia's throat, enforcing that his intentions were very clear. Evil backed down, realizing a rash move would only make the situation worse.

"Now that I have your attention, I couldn't help but notice your arrival on this island was most traumatic. After all, a plane crash can be quite scarring, especially if you lose some good people."

Evil held his ground, unwilling to show any sign of giving in to this uninvited guest as the man eyed him coolly.

"But then again, some wish they will have died during the accident. A death by starvation and dehydration is quite gruesome and I'm sure none of your friends here want that." He eased his grip on Petunia, and Evil surveyed the situation, carefully planning his next move. He knew he might be able to force the knife away from him, but he didn't want Petunia getting hurt in the process.

Before he could make a move, the man continued with a sly smile.

"So, I've come to make you a deal. There's no doubt you've been poking around the island, paranoid that some other shady dwellers reside here and I can give you some information on their whereabouts." He let go of Petunia, insinuating he meant no further violence, but Evil still held his guard.

"We've been doing fine here without anyone's help, so why should we trust you? We have no idea who you are or where you come from," Evil questioned.

The man sheathed his blade and stepped closer in a friendly manner. It was unnerving how this figure had shown extreme hostility only moments before, and was now perceived to be a trusting soul.

_I don't_ _like the sudden change in the way he acts, it's unnatural._ Flippy spoke.

Evil silently agreed.

"Let's start with introductions. My name is Voran and I've been on this island for a long while, but I assure you I mean no harm."

As he stepped into the light of the fire, it was clear he was a red coyote. His fur was a glossy mixture of patches, both black and shaded with hues of red. At first glance, he was well groomed for someone living out in the jungle, but there were visible scars along his paws and tail that told another story.

"It's not important how I got here, so we'll skip to the why. You're wondering what I want in exchange for helping you with these supposed Iris mercenaries."

"You could say that," Splendid replied.

Sensing the danger had passed, Evil had let Flippy regain control, and Voran thought he saw his eye color change, but quickly dismissed it as unimportant.

"I'll need a share of your supplies. You seem to have a good hard working group, so it shouldn't be a problem."

"Fine, but I have a few rules," Flippy interrupted, "You'll stay within my sight until I decide if you're good for your word and we'll give you a set amount of supplies, no more, no less."

"Of course," Voran smiled, "I think you'll find me to be a valuable asset. I have experience in combat and knowledge of this island, so I can prove to be useful. Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll even save our life," he finished as be glanced over individuals on the group, stopping slightly at Flaky.

Off to the side, Flaky had stood back from the others with Petunia. Her paws were still shaking from the events that had unfolded earlier, and she didn't trust this man regardless of his sudden pleasant manner. She had reached out to comfort Petunia, who was rubbing her sore neck where the blade had been pressed. As Flaky was looking down, she swore Voran had stolen a second glance at her, and she felt uncomfortable at this attention. She was naturally a nervous wreck, and was very skittish, often stuttering because of it, and she felt a wave of relief when he continued his talk with Flippy and Splendid, leaving her to tend to Petunia.

It was well past dark by the time the group had decided to settle in for the night. Splendid had urged Voran to sleep away from the others for now, and he agreed quickly. He preferred to sleep by himself as he was used to living alone, and he admitted the sudden change from solitary to social did a number on his nerves. He found a secluded spot surrounded by various vegetation where he could still see the light of he fire and the few others who were still up and about. He caught sight of Flippy making sure everyone was accounted for, and he suddenly remembered something that had slipped his mind from earlier: his eye color. It bothered him for some reason, and the more he thought about it, the more he wasn't sure if it really did change. He thought about it for a while until he convinced himself it was nothing, and soon he found himself drifting off to sleep.

The next morning was busy, as everyone was running around preparing for the day.

"Here's what we have at the moment. It's not much, but I'm sure you'll have a use for it," Sniffles said as he handed a bag of supplies containing food, a bottle of water, and miscellaneous items such as bandages and medicine.

Voran expressed his thanks and watched as Flippy and Splendid were talking among the group, informing them of their leave. Flippy wasted no time waiting for Voran to settle in to start their search. He was anxious to get answers and was tired of guessing their safety situation on the island, and he was sure knowing where his enemies were hiding would put his mind at ease, at least for the moment.

"Ready to leave?" Flippy called as he walked over to Voran. He nodded and Flippy continued.

"I don't know how long we'll be gone, so I've made sure the others know. "

Splendid decided to join them, as he wasn't sure it was a good idea for Flippy to be alone with him, not only because of Evil, but because Voran gave off an unnerving vibe.

When they were all ready, they set off in the familiar jungle from earlier, with Voran in the lead navigating. After a while of trekking through the undergrowth, he attempted to make some conversation.

"These Iris members...why are you so interested in them? Not many know of their existence, let alone know they're still around."

"Flippy knows of them quite well from his past, and he's not comfortable with the fact that they're on this particular island with our friends," Splendid answered simply.

He neglected to mention that it was actually Evil that knew of this.

"Oh, so it's more of a 'protect my friends after we crashed on an island' sort of deal," Voran said without much interest.

There was something he couldn't quite figure out about Flippy; How could someone as young as him have served in a war that happened almost before his time? He knew details from the war that no one else in his group could have known...unless there was someone else in the group he didn't know about yet.

Suddenly, he drew his eyes up to a nearby cliff.

"See that ridge up there?" Voran spoke as he pointed to a narrow rockface, " One of their camps is just over it."

They had been walking for a while through this unseen part of the jungle, and made a few stops to check out more insignia they discovered along the path. It was early morning, the sun just peaking through the trees, sending a flurry of rays that decorated the jungle floor. As they were making their way up the crag, Flippy noticed a sudden alertness from his counterpart.

" You've been unusually quiet for a while now. What's got your attention?"

_I was seeing if you'd notice something._ Evil replied.

Flippy was about to question what it was when an instance of movement caught his eye, the same movement he observed at the clearing. Determined to find out what it was, he quickly hid himself behind a nearby tree and watched as the figure continue to tread after Splendid and Voran, oblivious to the fact that Flippy had disappeared.

His thoughts filled with only the present danger, Flippy shadowed the movement with his blade ready. Splendid turned around, wondering where Flippy had gone, and as he did so, the hidden figure darted to flee from his sight. He was quick, but Flippy was quicker, and he easily grabbed and pinned him against a tree, his blade resting on his neck.

"How long have you been following us?" Flippy snarled. He was a young tan spotted rabbit, similar to Flippy's age, and he struggled in his grasp.

"Let go of me!" he spat as he tried to kick him off.

Flippy took the rabbit's collar and forcefully threw him to the ground , standing over him with a threatening posture . Splendid and Voran had rushed over to see what was going on, and cautiously watched to see if there were any others who were following.

"I won't ask again," Flippy threatened. The rabbit stood up with a slight stagger, reinforcing he wouldn't back down.

"I'm not telling you anything."

"You'd better start talking, although if you choose not to, I have ways of making you talk," Voran grinned.

He twirled his bone knife in his crimson paws, earning a look of anxiousness from the young rabbit.

"I don't need a reason to follow you when you're in our territory," the rabbit bitterly remarked, "Anyone who wanders up here is fair game. Actually, I should say that about the whole island."

Flippy spotted the same "x" symbol on his jacket.

"You're one of the Iris. So it's true you're all still around." The rabbit only sneered, "So glad you cleared that up. I wouldn't want to think you're seeing ghosts."

_We should interrogate him. It's been some time since I've heard or seen the Iris, and their motives may have changed._ Evil suggested.

"I'll tie him up, just to be sure he doesn't go anywhere," Splendid fastened a make shift rope out of a few vines, not hesitating to wait and see if the others should agree.

Suddenly, an echoing sound snapped his attention and startled Voran and Flippy.

The rabbit, seeing this as a chance to escape, took this moment of distraction to flee back into the safety of the jungle.

"That sounded like it came from back at our camp!" Splendid called, and Flippy grew concerned at the possibilities of what happened. He was going to tell Splendid to check it out, since he could get there the quickest, but before he could voice his concern, another dreaded sound was heard-

A second gunshot had been fired.


End file.
